RIght Next To me
by Pinkin
Summary: Linka and Wheeler have been getting closer and closer each day…and what makes it better than having their rooms right next to each other.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Summary: Linka and Wheeler have been getting closer and closer each day…and what makes it better than having their rooms right next to each other.

A/N: It gets so frustrating when I open this CP fic page everyday and there are no new stories to read or updates to catch up on….so I decided to try and stop the trend. Maybe others will follow with updates and more new stories.

* * *

"Hey, who wants to split a Toblerone?" , Linka asked happily on the floor of the common room as they all gathered around to watch the latest season of one of their favorite series.

"Gee, Linka, when did you start doting on chocolate?"

Wheeler asked, sliding off the couch to arrange himself by the Russian, all the while pleased to have a chance to be close to her.

He treasured these moments, when she let down her guard and acted friendly towards him. They had stayed together as planeteers for the past three years now and had all learnt about each other's flaws and shortcomings as well as their strengths.

But Wheeler had not been able to still crack the code to Linka. Growing up in New York in his not so pleasant past, he had been able to get any girl he wanted with his charming looks and catchy accent. Girls just practically fell at his feet. So when he had met Linka when they were recruited by Gaia and she responded differently to his moves, he had felt challenged and even more enthusiastic about winning her over. But he had failed miserably, Linka not expressing any more feelings for him than she would the other team mate and as reticent as ever.

He had learned that to win her over though, he had to be a whole new person; change from his somewhat coarse behavior. But he liked who he had become, albeit still not perfect. He admired his sense of altruism and sensitivity. Linka had told him he had had all those qualities within him all this while but his unfortunate situation while growing up had made him up into the supposed tough bad guy back in Brooklyn.

It had been close to six months since he noticed the change in Linka. Her touch lingered just a bit more when she had to hold his hand for whatever reason and she didn't shoot him down when he flirted with her. The other planeteers had also been a factor in Linka keeping up a friendly attitude with Wheeler over this period..a record for her, and Wheeler was most impressed with Gi who was known to meddle in affairs pertaining to their not so tangible romance.

Wheeler recalled the one and only time Linka had given him a real kiss, unlike any other they had shared; forget about the short thank you kisses, most of which had been insisted upon by Wheeler himself.

Wheeler had been abducted by Blight and her goons on one hectic mission they had embarked upon a couple of months ago. For close to a week, they could not trace Wheeler nor Blight's men and that had been the most miserable week for the planeteers but most especially Linka. Mati couldn't reach him either with his power. She had cried every single night and the rest had taken turns in comforting her and whispering to her about how Wheeler wouldn't want her to do that. She had even gone off food for a whole day.

Their breakthrough came though when they traced Wheeler's ring, hidden in a hole in a tree by accident. Linka had been able to use it so they had called Captain Planet who found him and brought him to them.

He was pale and his eyes were sunken in, but managed a look of strength even as he braced himself for Linka's expected hug as he was dropped on the shores of Hope Island. The kiss was unexpected though. She had ignored the presence of everyone, something very unusual, and engaged him in a heart-warming embrace as she lunged herself into his waiting arms, bitter sweet tears falling from her eyes and of course, Gi's.

After the two had separated, the rest had all gathered round to hug him and welcome him back. That evening, Linka hadn't left his side, even as he narrated his ordeal to them in the Crystal Chamber. And when it was time for bed, it was obvious to Wheeler that she was having an internal battle to stay with him. He would have loved the company and the reassuring warmth but he hadn't pressed her.

A few months down the line, the mood between him and Linka hadn't gone from good to bad, which was very impressive...

"Earth to Wheeler", Linka said as she noticed that cute smile on his face, the one which he showed when he was reminiscing.

"Have you heard anything I have said at all?" she inquired, a smile forming on her own lips.

"No, I bet he was in Linkaland", Gi said mischievously, earning a mock glare from the Wind Planeteer.

"Hmm, I wonder what happens in Linkaland, Yankee?"Linka mused as she ruffled his hair playfully.

The rest of the series was watched with occasional interruptions by the two with their playful banter and it almost got a bit uncomfortable for Mati and Kwame as it turned into obvious flirting at one point. The series finally ended and they each bade one another goodnight.

Wheeler lingered on intentionally, saying he wanted to stretch out on the couch for a while. He observed Linka in her sleepwear, a cute short and a tank top, when she emerged out of her room a few minutes later to pick something from the common room shelf. Her long hair had been let loose on her back and she looked simple but so sexy.

"Goodnight Yankee, you sure the couch is gonna be cool for you?" she asked affectionately in her best American voice as she passed him on her way to her room.

He reached up for her hand in a split second, raising himself to a sitting position and regarding her with a look that held a deeper meaning. Linka felt a blush begin to creep up her cheeks. In a raspy voice, he replied,

"If I could share with you that would be the coolest".

Linka felt her heart do a crazy dance in her chest. She quickly called her reticence into being however, and replied coolly with a smile.

"Oh you are such a big baby..you must be scared of a likely boogie man eh?"

Meanwhile, she clearly saw the look of seriousness in her Yankee's eyes.

"Alright, goodnight Yankee", she echoed but Wheeler still didn't let go off her hand.

With a sigh he said a moment later, "Not even a goodnight kiss?"

Linka could not deny that she really needed to feel his soft lips once again. They had not really shared a proper kiss after Wheeler's incidence and she really missed that but could never bring herself to initiate one.

Responding to his request, she slowly lowered herself unto the sofa and their lips met gently in a soft kiss. Wheeler moved his hand to gently cup her cheek as he moved closer to her. But when he made to deepen the kiss however, Linka broke away hurriedly, and with a whispered goodnight, picked herself up and left the common room without a second look back.

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Oops, I needed to write more than a one-shot at some point though, right? Let's see how it goes with the reviews, and then I promise to update with a conclusion that promises even more fluff :D


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the delay in updating. I have an upcoming project which has taken up most of my time. Thanks to my four loyal fans who read and reviewed. As for the other 100plus who read and did not care to review, here's hoping you wont read this update. You are also part of the reason this update delayed.

Flash back

With a sigh he said a moment later, "Not even a goodnight kiss?"

Linka could not deny that she really needed to feel his soft lips once again. They had not really shared a proper kiss after Wheeler's incidence and she really missed that but could never bring herself to initiate one.

Responding to his request, she slowly lowered herself unto the sofa and their lips met gently in a soft kiss. Wheeler moved his hand to gently cup her cheek as he moved closer to her. But when he made to deepen the kiss however, Linka broke away hurriedly, and with a whispered goodnight, picked herself up and left the common room without a second look back.

* * *

"Hmmm, Linka, Linka, Linka", Wheeler sighed loudly, scrubbing his face with his palm.

He was so into her and didn't know how he was gonna go through another week without letting her know exactly how he was feeling. He was getting frustrated by the day too.

He was a growing boy, yes, and twenty at that; you could say it was his overactive hormones but if that were the case, he would have gotten over her by now. So many girls made passes at him and they were very good-looking at that.

He could practically feel Linka even when she wasn't around. It was way beyond something casual and he was convinced that with Linka, some external force came to play.

Yeah, with his last girlfriend, Trish, he had thought it may be love cos it had been his first stable relationship, but that was nothing compared to what he felt with Linka.

The way she felt in his arms, her soft, warm lips, how her hair felt under his chin when they hugged and then there was how she even carried about her duties with focus and determination. Everything about her was enthralling.

Feeling a strong sense of yearning to be with her in all aspects possible, he got up and made straight for her room, right next to his.

* * *

As she lay on her bed, thirty minutes later, wide awake, she couldn't get the fact that Wheeler's room was right next to hers or that he was probably in the common room all by himself. Instead of just lying there waiting on sleep which she knew would never come, with the state that she was in, she knew she could be in Wheeler's protective arms, enjoying his sensitive touch and their mingled sighs.

She thought back to when they had been recruited as Planeteers.

_Wheeler had been the handsome fire planeteer from New York. She didn't know if it was due to his well built body or his looks or his carefree sweet attitude that had made her so aware of his presence...but something was happening to Linka and she didn't understand what or why. _

_She had then not been accustomed to this new experience she had found herself a part of. She had been teleported to this Tropical Island perfected with a Caribbean setting, together with four other teenagers. _

_A pretty, petite Asian from Korea, Gi; a tall, well built African, Kwame, and a very young Latin American boy called Ma-Ti. There was also Wheeler of course. She had found him attractive but their first encounter that fateful morning had definitely not been the friendliest. _

_She had not wanted to think of herself as unfriendly but being among new people always came with the feeling that she was not easygoing; and for him to just reach out to her like that had unnerved her._

_The first day had passed awkwardly for them all except Wheeler. I mean the guy had acted like he had known them his whole life. They had tried getting to know each other better, over lunch, but she was quiet for most of the period._

_It wasn't until two weeks after, that she had become accustomed to her new friends, finding a genuine dependence on Kwame as a big brother, Gi as a girlfriend and sister and feeling protectiveness over Ma-Ti like a big sister. So then, even right from the start exactly what had she seen Wheeler as? A brother? Definitely not. _

Breathing out unsteadily, she flinched slightly when she heard her door open a crack a moment later. She closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"Babe, …babe?"

Wheeler whispered and continued talking when she didn't respond.

"I just want your company, even if you are asleep. I will just crash on your couch tonight. I know you are gonna be so mad at me in the morning but I can't help it. Sorry".

With that, he moved quietly to her couch and settled in the cushions. Linka opened her eyes a crack a while later and saw how uncomfortable he looked. Speaking before she could chicken out,

"Yankee, it's ok, you can share with me".

He jolted when he heard her speak but got up a few heartbeats later and walked the short distance to the bed, lifting the covers.

"Thanks babe," he said self consciously as he lay a reasonable distance from her, facing her back.

"You welcome" she whispered back.

He visibly relaxed and studied her form beside him, the whole time wondering why Linka had trusted him..because he wasn't so sure of himself. The Russian beauty just gave him a pleasant rush anytime she was nice to him or flirted back with him, and the effect had run with him through the whole day and was haunting him now.

He had a flashback of her hesitant attitude to kissing him further, back in the hall but how she had given herself fully to the kiss though before she broke it off.

Similar thoughts played up in his sub-conscious and before he knew what he was doing, he moved to close the painful gap between them, placing his palm on her shoulder and dropping a few kisses to the exposed flesh.

Linka inhaled sharply, surprised but not angry at what Wheeler was doing. He nuzzled her with his stubble and Linka enjoyed the sensation for a short while before inquiring softly

"Why are you doing this Yankee?"

He dropped a few more kisses edging closer to her ear and making her tummy flutter even more before responding in a pleading sort of whisper…

"Babe, it's my natural reaction to you. Look at me and tell me to stop".

He dared her, breaking for a while as he gave her the chance to stop what was going on.

Wheeler enveloped her back again in his arms and reached around to drop more feathery kisses on her cheek. With a sigh, Linka turned very slightly, a look between worry and desire present on her face.

"Yankee, this is wrong", she whispered.

Wheeler spoke, punctuating it with short kisses close to her lips

"Babe, you need to…. just relax….. and enjoy this"

He nuzzled her nose and watched her reaction even as he saw the last of her resistance melt away, a slight shiver running through her. He touched his lips softly to hers and she responded hesitantly then with more fire as he shifted fully to hover above her, his fingers moving to caress her face and down her torso.

When he probed her mouth, she let a frenzied sigh escape her lips as she felt her heart soar for the boy she loved, even if she wouldn't admit it. Why else would she bare herself to his kisses? You wouldn't kiss your normal friend the way she and Wheeler were, would you?

His touch was sure, his lips the softest, his command firm but gentle. He let his hand slide up her exposed thigh to caress the milky skin, glad to see the expression of pleasure on the pretty Russian's face. Linka was his biggest addiction and he once again recalled how he wanted nothing more than to be one with her, in all the aspects possible.

She moved her hand to gently cup the back of his head while her lips locked with his in a long, wet kiss that was dizzying. It felt so damn good.

They engaged in a long make-out session of emotional kissing that left both feeling a deeper connection to the other. He felt his body betray him completely though, as he moved to bury his face into her golden locks, a small moan escaping from his throat.

But he was a gentleman; his old self would have taking matters into his own hands without really caring if she wanted that. He felt horrible about how he had treated ladies before; like they were just items of pleasure. He shuddered and gently broke away from the kiss; Linka opening her eyes even as she felt him withdraw.

"Yankee, is everything okay?"

He at once kissed her softly, reassuringly.

"Yeah Babe, it's just….. we need to slow things down." He felt himself blush a little as he looked down lovingly at her.

Smiling, Linka gave him a little kiss on his nose and gathered him gently into her arms. After a moment, Wheeler raised himself off of her, supporting his weight on an elbow.

"Linka, I just want you to know that if you and I were to be an item, I'd never treat you as casually as I have other girls in my past."

He picked her hand to touch against his face, kissing her palm occasionally as he spoke.

"I know its corny and all that to be talking this way and I never thought in my life that I'd be doing this one day but hey, I didn't know I'd meet an awesome girl such as you."

Linka looked up into his face the whole time he spoke; his eyes indulging hers completely, and she felt the love so strong between them. She lifted her finger to stop him from speaking what they both knew though.

She knew her eyes also showed so much love but at the moment, she was just content to be in his arms, nothing said to complicate matters. Love was such a big thing.

Maybe she would be bold to admit someday to Wheeler how crazy she was about him. Maybe things were better just how they were now. Or just maybe it was that the word "love" scared her.

Whatever it was she knew she had reached a place with Wheeler that she had never reached before with anyone in her life. And she wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. She turned unto her side, pulling Wheeler along with her so that they were in a spooning position.

"You are so special to me Wheeler." She spoke up after a moment. She kissed his arm as she felt him nuzzle her cheek.

"And there's no where I would want you to be than right next to me."


End file.
